Just when it appeared his career as a competitive skier was nearing its end, Kent Richardson pops up with a huge performance at a major championship event to silence those that might have said his time was nigh.

Richardson found new life in claiming a pair of bronze medals on Sunday at the 13th Annual Latin American Water Ski Championships in Chile.

The lanky Bermudian finalised 12 years of pain-staking determination, including numerous time spent training and honing on the water skills, with third place finishes in the finals of the slalom and tricks in the senior category -- over 35.

Richardson totalled 3,120 in the tricks, which was just 100 points less than the second placed Argentinian -- a Colombian won the event -- and did four buoys at 35 off in the slalom which put him behind athletes from Chile and Colombia.

He highlighted his effort with a record tying performance during the preliminary round of the slalom when he achieved a personal best three buoys at 35 off, which equalled the Latin American record.

"The lights came on, something finally clicked after 12 years,'' said a still jubilant Richardson yesterday from his current base in Florida. "People there were coming up to me and saying `Kent, where have you been? We've never seen you like this, what's happened.

"It's a case where I've always been able to do these things in practice, but I've choked when it came down to the real competition. This time though it was amazing how everything came together and it was an unbelievable feeling being up there on the podium, listening to them playing the national anthem. ..it was just unreal and a very emotional time for me after trying to get there for 12 years.'' It was in September when Richardson reached perhaps his lowest ebb, performing well below his best at the World Water Ski Championships in France as he and Lea Butterfield guided Bermuda to 36th place out of 45 countries.

His confidence shattered, Richardson seriously contemplated retirement for the first time.

He resolved to give one more go at competition, pouring all his energies into preparing for the Chile meet.

"After the World Championships I said I would do one more major championship and go all out for it and then see which way I would have to go,'' said the always lucid Richardson. "My focus in training was destination Chile and making the finals. And then I got there and said `hey, I have a shot at a medal'.

"It was like a brand new experience for me, because usually I would go, ski one round and be out, but this time I stayed in and the hard part became being able to keep my level up for the whole four days.

"The level of skiing there was extremely high and the competition unbelievably close.'' It was the first time Richardson had been allowed to participate in the over-35 category and he made the most of the opportunity. Nevertheless, he said that he was not ready to totally leave the open bracket and would endeavour to combine action among both groups.

"I saw myself doing good things, my focus was there and everything really came together,'' added Richardson, who plans to return home in May to operate the Bermuda Water Ski Centre and at the same time train and coach youngsters.

"This is the best thing that's ever happened to me in skiing.'' It almost never happened as Richardson was forced to scurry around gathering parts for his damaged ski just moments before competing in the slalom preliminaries.

Yet, despite having parts that made for an uncomfortable fit and ride it was in using such equipment that he was able to reel off his best showing and tie the record.

Seven countries took part in the championships, including Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru.